Ramadan 1433: Revisiting Thomas Jefferson’s Ramadan Iftar
The daily Iftar (the meal eaten by Muslims to break their fast after sunset every day during Ramadan) forms an integral part of the Muslim’s fast. In the true spirit of fasting. Muslims are urged not to overindulge during the iftar and to keep the meal as simple as possible.
The article below focuses on the first ever iftar hosted at the White House by Thomas Jefferson. This tradition has been maintained by successive American administrations in which American Muslim leaders are invited to partake in an iftar. Whilst the hosting of an iftar by the American government is a noble gesture, it is the political climate in which the event is taking place which causes Muslims to doubt the sincerety of the hosts. At this point in time American troops continue to occupy the Muslim lands of Afghanistan and Iraq which is the cause of much suffering for the people of those countries. America’s unwavering support for the Apartheid state of Israel and various Muslim dictatorships are also points of concern. If indeed there is an argument by some Muslim leaders for attending this event, then one would expect them to use this as a platform to engage the American government on the above mentioned issues of concern.
Nevertheless Muslims are urged to earnestly supplicate to God during the month of Ramadan to alleviate the suffering of Muslims and indeed all oppressed people throughout the world.
I would also like to take this opportunity during the holy month of Ramadan to thank those who have assisted with the mailing list during the past year.
A special thanks to Iqbal Moolla and Najma Ansari for assisting with the preparation of the articles.
Thank you:
Ayoub Bandekar, Rashid Girie, Imam Muhammad al Asi, Quraysha Ismail Sooliman, Dr Irfan al Alawi, Sulayman Dangor, Ismail (Milo) Mohamed, Iqbal Makda, Bashyr Ghoor, Mohamed Omar Khan (Bengal Educational and Social Trust), Safiyyah Seedat, Tazkiyyah Seedat and each and every subscriber.
We wish all the subscribers and all the Muslims globally well over the Holy month of Ramadan and a special Ramadan Kareem. May this month usher in a period of spiritual renewal for all of us, insha Allah.
Adam Seedat
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Thomas Jefferson’s Ramadan Iftar
Zawaj.com, 4 August 2011
Did you know that the first ever Ramadan iftar at the White House was held over 200 years ago by President Thomas Jefferson?
“Ramadan,” said President Obama at a White House iftar dinner in 2010, “is a reminder that Islam has always been a part of America. The first Muslim ambassador to the United States, from Tunisia, was hosted by President Jefferson, who arranged a sunset dinner for his guest because it was Ramadan — making it the first known iftar at the White House, more than 200 years ago.”
The dinner to which the president referred took place on December 9, 1805, and Jefferson’s guest was Sidi Soliman Mellimelli, an envoy from the bey (chieftain) of Tunis who spent six months in Washington. The context of Mellimelli’s visit to the United States was a tense dispute over piracy on American merchant vessels by the Barbary states and the capture of Tunisian vessels trying to run an American blockade of Tripoli.
Mellimelli arrived during Ramadan, and Jefferson, when he invited the envoy to the president’s house, changed the meal time from the usual hour of 3:30 p.m. to “precisely at sunset” in deference to the man’s religious obligation.
Jefferson’s knowledge of Islam likely came from his legal studies of natural law. In 1765, Jefferson purchased a two-volume English translation of the Quran for his personal library, a collection that became, in 1815, the basis of the modern Library of Congress.
http://www.zawaj.com/thomas-jeffersons-ramadan-iftar/